North.Five.Six is set to handle international sales for the true-life heist pic Dutch & Razzlekhan, on which we were first to report. Starring Chloë Grace Moretz (The Peripheral), Lewis Pullman (Lessons in Chemistry) and Ariana DeBose (West Side Story), the film will be introduced to buyers at Cannes later this month, with CAA Media Finance repping domestic rights.
Based on the 2022 Business Insider article “The $4.5 Billion Question” by Rob Price and Becky Peterson, Dutch & Razzlekhan is the explosive and unbelievably true story of the most expensive heist in history, with Heather “Razzlekhan” Morgan (Moretz) and Ilya “Dutch” Lichtenstein (Pullman) — lovers, hipsters, and aspiring rapper-entrepreneurs — at its center. DeBose plays Carla Vargas, the master hacker who was blackmailed by the FBI to help track down the duo.
After stealing over $4 billion worth of cryptocurrency, the millennial couple was caught by the Department of Justice and charged with conspiracy to launder the stolen...
Based on the 2022 Business Insider article “The $4.5 Billion Question” by Rob Price and Becky Peterson, Dutch & Razzlekhan is the explosive and unbelievably true story of the most expensive heist in history, with Heather “Razzlekhan” Morgan (Moretz) and Ilya “Dutch” Lichtenstein (Pullman) — lovers, hipsters, and aspiring rapper-entrepreneurs — at its center. DeBose plays Carla Vargas, the master hacker who was blackmailed by the FBI to help track down the duo.
After stealing over $4 billion worth of cryptocurrency, the millennial couple was caught by the Department of Justice and charged with conspiracy to launder the stolen...
- 5/6/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Gregory Nolan is a former federal prosecutor and current white-collar defense attorney at Brown White & Osborn.
The headlines suggest prosecutors are kicking ass and taking names in the fight against white-collar crime.
In only the past few weeks, federal prosecutors indicted Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) on even more corruption charges, and the chief financial officer at former President Donald Trump’s family real estate company pled guilty to lying about the value of its assets.
On March 28, a federal judge sentenced Sam Bankman-Fried to 25 years in prison for his...
The headlines suggest prosecutors are kicking ass and taking names in the fight against white-collar crime.
In only the past few weeks, federal prosecutors indicted Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) on even more corruption charges, and the chief financial officer at former President Donald Trump’s family real estate company pled guilty to lying about the value of its assets.
On March 28, a federal judge sentenced Sam Bankman-Fried to 25 years in prison for his...
- 4/1/2024
- by Gregory Nolan
- Rollingstone.com
Missed Thursday’s late-night monologues? We’ve got you covered with our round-up of the night’s best laughs from across the dial.
CryptoLarceny
On a night when two of the five late-night hosts were elsewhere, the Thursday conviction of cryptocurrency scammer Samuel Bankman-Fried was a popular target for those on duty. Convicted of securities fraud and conspiracy for looting his crypto exchange and a related hedge fund for upwards of $10 billion, the 32-year-old disgraced former financial whiz kid was sentenced to 25 years in prison, with the presiding judge calling Bankman-Fried out for lying under oath and a general lack of remorse.
“Let’s begin with the breaking news, Sam Bankman-Fried, disgraced crypto mogul and man who got bitten by a radioactive pube, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for all his crypto scams.
Continue reading Thurs Night Monologues: Bit-the-Dust Coin at LateNighter.
CryptoLarceny
On a night when two of the five late-night hosts were elsewhere, the Thursday conviction of cryptocurrency scammer Samuel Bankman-Fried was a popular target for those on duty. Convicted of securities fraud and conspiracy for looting his crypto exchange and a related hedge fund for upwards of $10 billion, the 32-year-old disgraced former financial whiz kid was sentenced to 25 years in prison, with the presiding judge calling Bankman-Fried out for lying under oath and a general lack of remorse.
“Let’s begin with the breaking news, Sam Bankman-Fried, disgraced crypto mogul and man who got bitten by a radioactive pube, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for all his crypto scams.
Continue reading Thurs Night Monologues: Bit-the-Dust Coin at LateNighter.
- 3/29/2024
- by Dennis Perkins
- LateNighter
Crypto entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced Thursday to 25 years in prison for a massive fraud that unraveled with the collapse of Ftx, once one of the world’s most popular platforms for exchanging digital currency.
Bankman-Fried, 32, was convicted in November of fraud and conspiracy — a dramatic fall from a crest of success that included a Super Bowl advertisement and celebrity endorsements from stars like quarterback Tom Brady, basketball star Stephen Curry and comedian Larry David.
U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan imposed the sentence in the same Manhattan courtroom where, four months ago, Bankman-Fried testified that his intention had been to revolutionize the emerging cryptocurrency market with his innovative and altruistic ideas, not to steal.
Kaplan said the sentence reflected “that there is a risk that this man will be in position to do something very bad in the future. And it’s not a trivial risk at all.
Bankman-Fried, 32, was convicted in November of fraud and conspiracy — a dramatic fall from a crest of success that included a Super Bowl advertisement and celebrity endorsements from stars like quarterback Tom Brady, basketball star Stephen Curry and comedian Larry David.
U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan imposed the sentence in the same Manhattan courtroom where, four months ago, Bankman-Fried testified that his intention had been to revolutionize the emerging cryptocurrency market with his innovative and altruistic ideas, not to steal.
Kaplan said the sentence reflected “that there is a risk that this man will be in position to do something very bad in the future. And it’s not a trivial risk at all.
- 3/28/2024
- by The Associated Press
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of crypto exchange Ftx, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for defrauding investors.
Judge Lewis Kaplan of the Southern District of New York set the sentence today in a hearing in New York Federal Court. He said the long sentence would serve as a deterrent, that Bankman-Fried had lied on the stand during his trial, and that he felt there was a risk of him repeating similar crimes.
Speaking before the sentence, Bankman-Fried said what happened to Ftx customers has “been excruciating to watch.” But, he said, “I don’t think the reasons for that have been properly told.” The 31-year-old said he had made a series of bad decisions and thrown his life away.
In November, the former crypto king was found guilty by a Manhattan jury of seven counts of fraud in a scheme that cost Ftx customers over $10 billion. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams...
Judge Lewis Kaplan of the Southern District of New York set the sentence today in a hearing in New York Federal Court. He said the long sentence would serve as a deterrent, that Bankman-Fried had lied on the stand during his trial, and that he felt there was a risk of him repeating similar crimes.
Speaking before the sentence, Bankman-Fried said what happened to Ftx customers has “been excruciating to watch.” But, he said, “I don’t think the reasons for that have been properly told.” The 31-year-old said he had made a series of bad decisions and thrown his life away.
In November, the former crypto king was found guilty by a Manhattan jury of seven counts of fraud in a scheme that cost Ftx customers over $10 billion. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams...
- 3/28/2024
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Sam Bankman-Fried has been sentenced to 25 years in prison after being found guilty of fraud charges in connection to his collapsed cryptocurrency exchange Ftx.
Bankman-Fried was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, securities fraud, money laundering, and violations of campaign finance law in December 2022. The then-30-year-old allegedly defrauded millions of investors through Ftx crypto schemes, including using customer investments in the amount of $8 million to fund side investments and pay off debts.
In November 2023 — after a trial that featured both shocking testimony from ex-girfriend/co-conspirator Caroline Ellison as...
Bankman-Fried was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, securities fraud, money laundering, and violations of campaign finance law in December 2022. The then-30-year-old allegedly defrauded millions of investors through Ftx crypto schemes, including using customer investments in the amount of $8 million to fund side investments and pay off debts.
In November 2023 — after a trial that featured both shocking testimony from ex-girfriend/co-conspirator Caroline Ellison as...
- 3/28/2024
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Tonight, The Podcast Academy (Tpa), the preeminent professional podcast organization, announced winners at its fourth annual Awards for Excellence in Audio (The Ambies®) from the Jw Marriott LA Live Los Angeles hosted by season 3 winner of “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars,” Trixie Mattel. Additionally, Malcolm Gladwell was honored with the esteemed Governors Award, which recognizes a podcast or individual for the compelling influence they’ve had on the industry; and pop-culture podcaster Ira Madison III received the Impact Award, which recognizes an individual or podcast that has made a significant, positive effect on its listeners.
The Ambies celebrate excellence in podcasting and elevate awareness and status of podcasts as a unique and personal medium for entertainment, information, storytelling and expression. The ceremony highlighted 192 nominees across 27 categories with winners selected by every voting member of The Podcast Academy (Tpa).
Fourth Annual Awards For Excellence In Audio Winners: Podcasts Detail Podcast of...
The Ambies celebrate excellence in podcasting and elevate awareness and status of podcasts as a unique and personal medium for entertainment, information, storytelling and expression. The ceremony highlighted 192 nominees across 27 categories with winners selected by every voting member of The Podcast Academy (Tpa).
Fourth Annual Awards For Excellence In Audio Winners: Podcasts Detail Podcast of...
- 3/27/2024
- Podnews.net
Following his conviction in November, Sam Bankman-Fried is awaiting sentencing for the massive fraud that brought down his much-vaunted Ftx cryptocurrency exchange. Making the case for a 40-to-50-year prison term, federal prosecutors have now submitted a list of the disgraced CEO’s bad ideas for spinning his company’s bankruptcy in the weeks after it collapsed.
“Note: these are all random probably bad ideas that aren’t vetted; Confidential,” reads a note at the top of the Google Document. In the text that follows, Bankman-Fried laid out possible ways...
“Note: these are all random probably bad ideas that aren’t vetted; Confidential,” reads a note at the top of the Google Document. In the text that follows, Bankman-Fried laid out possible ways...
- 3/16/2024
- by Miles Klee
- Rollingstone.com
Exclusive: Chloë Grace Moretz (The Peripheral), Lewis Pullman (Top Gun: Maverick), and Academy Award winner Ariana DeBose (West Side Story) have signed on to star in Dutch & Razzlekhan, a heist film based on a true story that will go into production this summer under the direction of BAFTA nominee Jon S. Baird (Tetris).
Logan Miller and Noah Miller penned the script, with Andrew Lazar’s Mad Chance aboard to produce. CAA Media Finance will arrange financing for the film and represent its worldwide distribution rights.
Based on the 2022 Business Insider article “The $4.5 Billion Question” by Rob Price and Becky Peterson, Dutch & Razzlekhan is the explosive and unbelievably true story of the most expensive heist in history, with Heather “Razzlekhan” Morgan (Moretz) and Ilya “Dutch” Lichtenstein (Pullman) — lovers, hipsters, and aspiring rapper-entrepreneurs — at its center. After stealing over $4 billion worth of cryptocurrency, the millennial...
Logan Miller and Noah Miller penned the script, with Andrew Lazar’s Mad Chance aboard to produce. CAA Media Finance will arrange financing for the film and represent its worldwide distribution rights.
Based on the 2022 Business Insider article “The $4.5 Billion Question” by Rob Price and Becky Peterson, Dutch & Razzlekhan is the explosive and unbelievably true story of the most expensive heist in history, with Heather “Razzlekhan” Morgan (Moretz) and Ilya “Dutch” Lichtenstein (Pullman) — lovers, hipsters, and aspiring rapper-entrepreneurs — at its center. After stealing over $4 billion worth of cryptocurrency, the millennial...
- 3/7/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Scripted podcast “The Very Worst Thing That Could Possibly Happen,” unscripted series “Dear Alana,” and retrospective looks at the origins of hip hop lead the list of nominees for the fourth annual Ambies podcast kudos administered by The Podcast Academy.
“Very Worst Thing,” a psychological and supernatural drama produced by Wolf at the Door creative studio, earned the most bids of any program with five. Tenderfoot TV’s “Dear Alana,” a searing eight-episode series exploring the journals of a young woman who killed herself after undergoing cruel conversion therapy, was second with four.
Six different titles amassed three nominations, including “Can You Dig It?: A Hip-Hop Origin Story with Chuck D” and true crime entry “Exposed: Cover-Up at Columbia University.” Another 16 titles grabbed two nominations, ranging from “Who Killed JFK?” and “Slow Burn: Becoming Justice Thomas” to “50 Years of Hip Hop” and “The Cat in the Hat Cast.”
The...
“Very Worst Thing,” a psychological and supernatural drama produced by Wolf at the Door creative studio, earned the most bids of any program with five. Tenderfoot TV’s “Dear Alana,” a searing eight-episode series exploring the journals of a young woman who killed herself after undergoing cruel conversion therapy, was second with four.
Six different titles amassed three nominations, including “Can You Dig It?: A Hip-Hop Origin Story with Chuck D” and true crime entry “Exposed: Cover-Up at Columbia University.” Another 16 titles grabbed two nominations, ranging from “Who Killed JFK?” and “Slow Burn: Becoming Justice Thomas” to “50 Years of Hip Hop” and “The Cat in the Hat Cast.”
The...
- 2/16/2024
- by William Earl
- Variety Film + TV
[Editor’s Note: The story contains spoilers for the finale of “A Murder at the End of the World.”]
It seems like a rich guy is in the news every other day, doing something funny or perplexing or downright horrible. Over the course of this year, we all watched Elon Musk acquire one of the world’s most powerful social media sites and then, instead of making the user experience better than it was, mold it into his own image, censoring any language and people he didn’t like. More recently, entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried, who was once counted among the richest people in the country in the Forbes 400, gambled on a fraud-ridden crypto exchange whose exposure and bankruptcy may send him to prison for decades. Six years ago, we had a famously wealthy businessman and TV personality as president who nearly drove us toward a nuclear conflict.
Hating on the rich is nothing new, but a number of this year’s...
It seems like a rich guy is in the news every other day, doing something funny or perplexing or downright horrible. Over the course of this year, we all watched Elon Musk acquire one of the world’s most powerful social media sites and then, instead of making the user experience better than it was, mold it into his own image, censoring any language and people he didn’t like. More recently, entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried, who was once counted among the richest people in the country in the Forbes 400, gambled on a fraud-ridden crypto exchange whose exposure and bankruptcy may send him to prison for decades. Six years ago, we had a famously wealthy businessman and TV personality as president who nearly drove us toward a nuclear conflict.
Hating on the rich is nothing new, but a number of this year’s...
- 12/19/2023
- by Emma Stefansky
- Indiewire
The Black List announced the top unproduced screenplays of the year on Monday, December 11.
The “most liked” scripts include 76 feature screenplays by 80 writers, selected by more than 375 film executives. In the 19th edition of the annual list, the topics range from a Tom Hanks meta satire to a time-traveling couple who try to fall out of love. The making of ill-fated Broadway production “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark,” a Patsy Cline biopic, and the true story behind the feud between Elia Kazan and Arthur Miller are also among the selected scripts.
After Todd Haynes helmed The Black List alum Samy Burch’s “May December” script, leading to multiple Golden Globe nominations, this year’s crop of best scripts is all the more essential following the writers strike.
“This year, the industry was defined by a debate about the value of writers within it, and I think it’s inevitable that...
The “most liked” scripts include 76 feature screenplays by 80 writers, selected by more than 375 film executives. In the 19th edition of the annual list, the topics range from a Tom Hanks meta satire to a time-traveling couple who try to fall out of love. The making of ill-fated Broadway production “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark,” a Patsy Cline biopic, and the true story behind the feud between Elia Kazan and Arthur Miller are also among the selected scripts.
After Todd Haynes helmed The Black List alum Samy Burch’s “May December” script, leading to multiple Golden Globe nominations, this year’s crop of best scripts is all the more essential following the writers strike.
“This year, the industry was defined by a debate about the value of writers within it, and I think it’s inevitable that...
- 12/11/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
The Black List has revealed its 2023 list of best unproduced screenplays, with scripts that include a biopic of country singer Patsy Cline, the rise and fall of Sam Bankman-Fried crypto empire Ftx, and an action-comedy about Tom Hanks and his doppelganger.
Topping this year’s list is a feature script from Travis Braun titled Bad Boy, with a logline that reads: “A rescue dog suspects his loving new owner is a serial killer.”
Elsewhere on the list is a screenplay about the Broadway playwright behind notorious disaster Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark from writer Hunter Toro, and a script focused on soccer star Didier Drogba from Jackson Kellard.
“This year, the industry was defined by a debate about the value of writers within it, and I think it’s inevitable that this year’s Black List means more than it has in the past,” said Black List founder and CEO Franklin Leonard.
Topping this year’s list is a feature script from Travis Braun titled Bad Boy, with a logline that reads: “A rescue dog suspects his loving new owner is a serial killer.”
Elsewhere on the list is a screenplay about the Broadway playwright behind notorious disaster Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark from writer Hunter Toro, and a script focused on soccer star Didier Drogba from Jackson Kellard.
“This year, the industry was defined by a debate about the value of writers within it, and I think it’s inevitable that this year’s Black List means more than it has in the past,” said Black List founder and CEO Franklin Leonard.
- 12/11/2023
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
This is Not Financial Advice, the cryptocurrency centric doc that had its debut at the Tribeca Film Festival, has landed at FuseTV.
Chris Temple and Zach Ingrasci directed the feature that has a longline that reads: “Glauber Contessoto gambles his life savings on a joke cryptocurrency. Two months later, he becomes ‘The Dogecoin Millionaire’ and an internet legend. While it might seem easy to get rich online, it’s even easier to lose it all.”
The film will be released on Fuse TV on Jan. 11.
Jenna Kelly, Carrie Weprin, and Martine Phelan-Roberts produced the doc, which hails from Optimist, Legion M, Xtr, Mr. Wizard Productions, and Bearcat.
Said the directors, “We set out to make a film about the get-rich-quick culture of crypto, but ultimately discovered a much deeper story about our psychological relationship with money. The bare-it-all honesty of Glauber and the rest of the film’s participants resulted in a very fun,...
Chris Temple and Zach Ingrasci directed the feature that has a longline that reads: “Glauber Contessoto gambles his life savings on a joke cryptocurrency. Two months later, he becomes ‘The Dogecoin Millionaire’ and an internet legend. While it might seem easy to get rich online, it’s even easier to lose it all.”
The film will be released on Fuse TV on Jan. 11.
Jenna Kelly, Carrie Weprin, and Martine Phelan-Roberts produced the doc, which hails from Optimist, Legion M, Xtr, Mr. Wizard Productions, and Bearcat.
Said the directors, “We set out to make a film about the get-rich-quick culture of crypto, but ultimately discovered a much deeper story about our psychological relationship with money. The bare-it-all honesty of Glauber and the rest of the film’s participants resulted in a very fun,...
- 11/30/2023
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
On Thursday, the founder of crypto exchange Ftx, Sam Bankman-Fried, was found guilty of fraud and additional charges.
Ftx was a cryptocurrency exchange that allowed its users to buy, sell and enter into contracts for crypto coins and tokens.
Jurors found the disgraced crypto financier, 31, guilty of wire fraud, securities fraud and money laundering.
The charges stem from his fraudulent activities that involved customers on his Ftx crypto exchange and lenders associated with his investment firm, Alameda Research.
Bankman-Fried’s attorney, Mark Cohen, told reporters that he maintains his client’s innocence and “will continue to vigorously fight the charges against him.” His sentencing hearing is set for March 28.
The trial began on October 3. The jury heard from a slew of witnesses, which included three of Bankman-Fried’s close friends, Gary Wange, Nishad Singh and Caroline Ellison.
The former CEO of Alameda, Ellison was also Bankman-Fried’s ex-girlfriend.
Bankman-Fried and his colleagues worked together,...
Ftx was a cryptocurrency exchange that allowed its users to buy, sell and enter into contracts for crypto coins and tokens.
Jurors found the disgraced crypto financier, 31, guilty of wire fraud, securities fraud and money laundering.
The charges stem from his fraudulent activities that involved customers on his Ftx crypto exchange and lenders associated with his investment firm, Alameda Research.
Bankman-Fried’s attorney, Mark Cohen, told reporters that he maintains his client’s innocence and “will continue to vigorously fight the charges against him.” His sentencing hearing is set for March 28.
The trial began on October 3. The jury heard from a slew of witnesses, which included three of Bankman-Fried’s close friends, Gary Wange, Nishad Singh and Caroline Ellison.
The former CEO of Alameda, Ellison was also Bankman-Fried’s ex-girlfriend.
Bankman-Fried and his colleagues worked together,...
- 11/3/2023
- by Baila Eve Zisman
- Uinterview
Jurors took only a half-day of deliberations today to find former Ftx founder Sam Bankman-Fried guilty of seven counts of fraud in a scheme that cost customers an estimated $10 billion to $14 billion. His crypto exchange, Ftx, collapsed into bankruptcy last year.
He now faces a March 28 sentencing date that could result in decades of prison time. The 2009 prosecution of Bernard Madoff, whose Ponzi scheme bilked about $20 billion. resulted in a sentence of 150 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams told reporters after the verdict that Bankman-Fried “perpetrated one of the biggest financial frauds in American history, a multibillion dollar scheme designed to make him the king of crypto..
“But here’s the thing: The cryptocurrency industry might be new. The players like Sam Bankman-Fried might be new. This kind of fraud, this kind of corruption, is as old as time, and we have no patience for it,” he said.
He now faces a March 28 sentencing date that could result in decades of prison time. The 2009 prosecution of Bernard Madoff, whose Ponzi scheme bilked about $20 billion. resulted in a sentence of 150 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams told reporters after the verdict that Bankman-Fried “perpetrated one of the biggest financial frauds in American history, a multibillion dollar scheme designed to make him the king of crypto..
“But here’s the thing: The cryptocurrency industry might be new. The players like Sam Bankman-Fried might be new. This kind of fraud, this kind of corruption, is as old as time, and we have no patience for it,” he said.
- 11/3/2023
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of collapsed cryptocurrency exchange Ftx, was found guilty of fraud charges Thursday, according to The Washington Post.
Bankman-Fried was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, securities fraud, money laundering, and violations of campaign finance law in December 2022. The 30-year-old allegedly defrauded millions of investors through Ftx crypto schemes, including using customer investments in the amount of $8 million to fund side investments and pay off debts.
“This is a pyramid of deceit by the defendant built on lies and false promises,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas...
Bankman-Fried was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, securities fraud, money laundering, and violations of campaign finance law in December 2022. The 30-year-old allegedly defrauded millions of investors through Ftx crypto schemes, including using customer investments in the amount of $8 million to fund side investments and pay off debts.
“This is a pyramid of deceit by the defendant built on lies and false promises,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas...
- 11/3/2023
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Sam Bankman-Fried’s cross-examination Monday afternoon in his ongoing criminal fraud trial provided little satisfaction to those hoping for a mea culpa from the disgraced Ftx founder. During an approximately four-hour cross-examination led by prosecutor Danielle Sassoon, Bankman-Fried appeared to suffer from memory loss, evaded questions, and gave downright unhelpful answers.
In one instance, Sassoon brought up a prior statement made by Bankman-Fried to a journalist suggesting that Alameda, his trading firm, did not have special privileges on his cryptocurrency exchange, Ftx. A CNBC news article was pulled up from evidence,...
In one instance, Sassoon brought up a prior statement made by Bankman-Fried to a journalist suggesting that Alameda, his trading firm, did not have special privileges on his cryptocurrency exchange, Ftx. A CNBC news article was pulled up from evidence,...
- 10/30/2023
- by Tracy Wang
- Rollingstone.com
Tiffany Fong stands among a gaggle of reporters in the gray tiled plaza of Daniel Patrick Moynihan Courthouse in downtown Manhattan. It is just past dawn, but members of the media are already queued up for the start of Ftx founder Sam Bankman-Fried’s criminal trial. Fong, 29, takes periodic hits from her vape while chatting up reporters, doling out her number and self-deprecating one-liners for stories. She looks like a grown-up version of a college “it” girl, wearing a black sweater vest, Nike Air Force One sneakers and a leather...
- 10/28/2023
- by Tracy Wang
- Rollingstone.com
Sam Bankman-Fried will take the rare, and potentially precarious, step of testifying on his own behalf at his ongoing criminal fraud trial, The New York Times reports.
Bankman-Fried’s lawyer, Mark Cohen, confirmed the embattled Ftx founder’s plan to testify during a recent hearing with prosecutors and the judge overseeing the case (the trial has been on break since last Friday, Oct. 20). Bankman-Fried could take the stand as soon as tomorrow, Oct. 26, though an exact date is unclear. He’ll be called when the defense begins its case, which is expected to be soon,...
Bankman-Fried’s lawyer, Mark Cohen, confirmed the embattled Ftx founder’s plan to testify during a recent hearing with prosecutors and the judge overseeing the case (the trial has been on break since last Friday, Oct. 20). Bankman-Fried could take the stand as soon as tomorrow, Oct. 26, though an exact date is unclear. He’ll be called when the defense begins its case, which is expected to be soon,...
- 10/25/2023
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
As Sam Bankman-Fried stands trial for fraud after the 2022 high-profile collapse of his cryptocurrency exchange Ftx, Anthony Scaramucci is sharing the story of how he got into business with the young billionaire.
In Tales From The Crypto: The Rise and Fall of Ftx, a newly launched podcast from Audio Up, the financier who became a household name during a brief stint as communications director for former president Donald Tump tells his story warts and all. His company, SkyBridge Capitol, sold a one-third stake to Sbf’s Ftx Ventures in 2022 — not long before the house of cards collapsed. The podcast dropped its first two episodes on Oct. 9 and will roll out weekly on Mondays.
Instead of picking up when the two met a few years ago, the story starts with Scaramucci’s background as a middle-class kid from Long Island, explaining how he landed at Goldman Sachs after graduating from Harvard Law School...
In Tales From The Crypto: The Rise and Fall of Ftx, a newly launched podcast from Audio Up, the financier who became a household name during a brief stint as communications director for former president Donald Tump tells his story warts and all. His company, SkyBridge Capitol, sold a one-third stake to Sbf’s Ftx Ventures in 2022 — not long before the house of cards collapsed. The podcast dropped its first two episodes on Oct. 9 and will roll out weekly on Mondays.
Instead of picking up when the two met a few years ago, the story starts with Scaramucci’s background as a middle-class kid from Long Island, explaining how he landed at Goldman Sachs after graduating from Harvard Law School...
- 10/12/2023
- by Ashley Cullins
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
On a Wednesday afternoon in Sdny’s courtroom 26A, Caroline Ellison cried on the witness stand after reading a text message she had sent to Sam Bankman-Fried last November. It was Ellison’s second day of testimony against Bankman-Fried, her former boss and boyfriend, who faces seven counts related to fraud. “That was overall the worst week of my life,” she sobbed. “It’s something that had been in my mind every day, worrying about what would happen when the truth finally came out.”
Now, the truth is out. Ftx...
Now, the truth is out. Ftx...
- 10/12/2023
- by Tracy Wang
- Rollingstone.com
Sam Bankman-Fried had a plan to save humanity, and he would need celebrities to pull it off. In Going Infinite, Michael Lewis’ newly released account of Bankman-Fried’s vertiginous rise and fall, The Big Short and Moneyball author explains how the disgraced crypto tycoon — now in jail awaiting trial on fraud charges — claims to have been motivated by the tenets of effective altruism to earn billions so that he might give his fortune away to stave off existential risks such as an A.I. apocalypse. Hyperanalytical, socially challenged and defiantly disheveled with his cloud of black hair and his uniform of T-shirt and cargo shorts, Bankman-Fried fit awkwardly among the glamorous boldfaced names drawn to his sudden fame and phenomenal wealth. Yet he made the calculation that he needed them to draw users to his crypto exchange, Ftx.
Lewis describes Bankman-Fried’s celeb-driven marketing strategy as at once haphazard — he...
Lewis describes Bankman-Fried’s celeb-driven marketing strategy as at once haphazard — he...
- 10/3/2023
- by Julian Sancton
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Disgraced crypto magnate Sam Bankman-Fried considered paying Donald Trump in exchange for his stepping away from the 2024 presidential race, per a new report. According to an excerpt from Michel Lewis’ upcoming book, Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon, which was published in The Washington Post, Bankman-Fried and his associates attended a backchannel negotiation with the former president to get him to name his price to leave politics.
In an interview with 60 Minutes, Lewis revealed that, according to Bankman-Fried, “there was a number that was kicking around,...
In an interview with 60 Minutes, Lewis revealed that, according to Bankman-Fried, “there was a number that was kicking around,...
- 10/2/2023
- by Nikki McCann Ramirez
- Rollingstone.com
This Sunday October 1 2023, CBS broadcasts a brand new episode of “60 Minutes“.
The Attorney General
In this segment, “60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley interviews U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland in Washington D.C. The interview covers topics such as the indictments of former President Donald Trump, the Hunter Biden probe, and the Jan. 6 indictments. Aaron Weisz and Pat Milton are the producers of this segment.
The Rise and Fall of Sam Bankman-Fried
This double-length segment features the exclusive first interview with author and financial journalist Michael Lewis. Lewis discusses his upcoming book, “Going Infinite,” and provides insights into the rise and fall of Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of the Ftx cryptocurrency exchange. Correspondent Jon Wertheim conducts the interview, exploring Bankman-Fried’s empire at its peak, the crypto market’s collapse, and the question of whether Bankman-Fried believes he’s innocent. Draggan Mihailovich is the producer of this segment.
The Attorney General
In this segment, “60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley interviews U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland in Washington D.C. The interview covers topics such as the indictments of former President Donald Trump, the Hunter Biden probe, and the Jan. 6 indictments. Aaron Weisz and Pat Milton are the producers of this segment.
The Rise and Fall of Sam Bankman-Fried
This double-length segment features the exclusive first interview with author and financial journalist Michael Lewis. Lewis discusses his upcoming book, “Going Infinite,” and provides insights into the rise and fall of Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of the Ftx cryptocurrency exchange. Correspondent Jon Wertheim conducts the interview, exploring Bankman-Fried’s empire at its peak, the crypto market’s collapse, and the question of whether Bankman-Fried believes he’s innocent. Draggan Mihailovich is the producer of this segment.
- 9/30/2023
- by Alex Matthews
- TV Regular
The collapse of Sam Bankman-Fried’s $40 billion crypto empire shocked the world with its speed and scale. In mere days, the company he founded, Ftx, fell from its perch as a top cryptocurrency exchange and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Customers who deposited funds on Ftx — sometimes their life savings — learned that billions had gone missing. A viral tweet from a crypto executive read: “The insanity of Theranos, speed of Lehman and scale of Enron.”
What are Bankman-Fried’s charges and his alleged criminal conduct?
Next week, Bankman-Fried will finally face the music.
What are Bankman-Fried’s charges and his alleged criminal conduct?
Next week, Bankman-Fried will finally face the music.
- 9/29/2023
- by Tracy Wang
- Rollingstone.com
The inside of the $40 million Bahamas penthouse where Sam Bankman-Fried lived was like a cross between a luxury dorm room and a jury-rigged trading floor. The curved marble living room was rimmed with computer desks, each supporting various configurations of conjoined monitors. Kitschy beach-themed decor lined the built-in display shelves. In the center of the room, a lumpy black beanbag lay tucked beneath a baby grand piano; it was tough to say whether the beanbag or the piano seemed more out of place.
The penthouse’s wrap-around terrace overlooked the marina of Albany Bahamas,...
The penthouse’s wrap-around terrace overlooked the marina of Albany Bahamas,...
- 9/27/2023
- by Tracy Wang
- Rollingstone.com
Making Magic
To mark the 25th anniversary of the “Harry Potter” books being published in the U.S., the Empire State Building is set to be lit up in Hogwarts house colors at sunset on Wednesday, Sept. 27.
Viewers outside of New York can watch the building’s Tower Lights shine red for Gryffindor, yellow for Hufflepuff, blue for Ravenclaw and green for Slytherin on the Empire State’s live cam. For those in New York, there will be a magical pop-up cart on the 86th Floor Observation Deck where fans will be able to pick up free copies of the book and bottles of Butterbeer. Costumes and wizard robes are encouraged.
Crypto Scam
BBC One have set a documentary on alleged crypto-scammer Sam Bankman-Fried. Produced by Bitachon365 (“Secrets of Prince Andrew”), the 60-minute doc will air under the BBC’s “Panorama” strand on Sept. 25. A 90-minute cut will be available...
To mark the 25th anniversary of the “Harry Potter” books being published in the U.S., the Empire State Building is set to be lit up in Hogwarts house colors at sunset on Wednesday, Sept. 27.
Viewers outside of New York can watch the building’s Tower Lights shine red for Gryffindor, yellow for Hufflepuff, blue for Ravenclaw and green for Slytherin on the Empire State’s live cam. For those in New York, there will be a magical pop-up cart on the 86th Floor Observation Deck where fans will be able to pick up free copies of the book and bottles of Butterbeer. Costumes and wizard robes are encouraged.
Crypto Scam
BBC One have set a documentary on alleged crypto-scammer Sam Bankman-Fried. Produced by Bitachon365 (“Secrets of Prince Andrew”), the 60-minute doc will air under the BBC’s “Panorama” strand on Sept. 25. A 90-minute cut will be available...
- 9/22/2023
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
The collapse of cryptocurrency exchange Ftx has produced some initial payouts in court. Bloomberg is reporting that at least three settlements have been reached in a class action case that targets influencers who shilled for Ftx. NFL quarterback Trevor Lawrence has settled with the plaintiffs, as have creators Kevin Paffrath (pictured above) and Tom Nash.
Bloomberg identified Lawrence, Paffrath, and Nash as the three defendants who were named in a court filing that discussed the settlements. The terms of their respective agreements with the litigious investors were not disclosed.
The complaint was originally filed back in March, five months after Ftx collapsed and filed for bankruptcy. The original defendants included more than a dozen celebrities, including a laundry list of financial and tech influencers: Paffrath, Nash, Graham Stephan, Andrei Jikh, Jaspreet Singh, Brian Jung, Jeremy Lefebvre, Ben Armstrong, and Erika Kullberg.
The investors who filed the suit argued that the...
Bloomberg identified Lawrence, Paffrath, and Nash as the three defendants who were named in a court filing that discussed the settlements. The terms of their respective agreements with the litigious investors were not disclosed.
The complaint was originally filed back in March, five months after Ftx collapsed and filed for bankruptcy. The original defendants included more than a dozen celebrities, including a laundry list of financial and tech influencers: Paffrath, Nash, Graham Stephan, Andrei Jikh, Jaspreet Singh, Brian Jung, Jeremy Lefebvre, Ben Armstrong, and Erika Kullberg.
The investors who filed the suit argued that the...
- 9/18/2023
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
New Delhi, Aug 23 (Ians) Amid the tightening regulatory landscape, crypto startups secured $2.3 billion from Vc rounds in the second quarter (April-June period) this year, the least amount raised since Q4 2020, a new report showed on Wednesday.
Data from BitcoinCasinos.com revealed the substantial deceleration in Vc funding within the crypto space.
“The crypto sector is at a pivotal crossroads. While Vc funding has historically acted as a catalyst for innovation, the recent downturn signals an urgent need for introspection and adaptation within the industry,” said crypto expert Edith Reads.
Several factors underpin this decline in crypto Vc funding, notably regulatory concerns.
Governments worldwide have assumed diverse positions on cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology, influencing investor sentiment. Regulatory ambiguity has dampened enthusiasm and compelled a reevaluation of investment strategies.
“Furthermore, the inherent volatility of major cryptocurrencies has impacted Vc funding decisions. In an industry renowned for its tumultuous market dynamics, investors struggle...
Data from BitcoinCasinos.com revealed the substantial deceleration in Vc funding within the crypto space.
“The crypto sector is at a pivotal crossroads. While Vc funding has historically acted as a catalyst for innovation, the recent downturn signals an urgent need for introspection and adaptation within the industry,” said crypto expert Edith Reads.
Several factors underpin this decline in crypto Vc funding, notably regulatory concerns.
Governments worldwide have assumed diverse positions on cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology, influencing investor sentiment. Regulatory ambiguity has dampened enthusiasm and compelled a reevaluation of investment strategies.
“Furthermore, the inherent volatility of major cryptocurrencies has impacted Vc funding decisions. In an industry renowned for its tumultuous market dynamics, investors struggle...
- 8/23/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
San Francisco, Aug 12 (Ians) Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of the collapsed crypto exchange Ftx, has been sent to jail after a judge removed his bail, citing violations like witness tampering.
Bankman-Fried had been on house arrest in California since December 2022 while awaiting trial on fraud and money laundering charges.
According to Inner City Press, judge Lewis A. Kaplan ordered late on Friday that he be remanded after prosecutors pushed to have his bail revoked.
They said that Bankman-Fried’s admitted usage of Vpn software to watch an NFL game.
“He subscribed from the Bahamas and used a Vpn as if he were in the Bahamas when he was in Palo Alto and could have watched it on public TV. It shows the mindset. All things considered I am going to revoke bail,” ordered judge Kaplan.
Bankman-Fried was free on a $250 million bail.
He, however, allegedly contacted a witness over encrypted messaging platform Signal.
Bankman-Fried had been on house arrest in California since December 2022 while awaiting trial on fraud and money laundering charges.
According to Inner City Press, judge Lewis A. Kaplan ordered late on Friday that he be remanded after prosecutors pushed to have his bail revoked.
They said that Bankman-Fried’s admitted usage of Vpn software to watch an NFL game.
“He subscribed from the Bahamas and used a Vpn as if he were in the Bahamas when he was in Palo Alto and could have watched it on public TV. It shows the mindset. All things considered I am going to revoke bail,” ordered judge Kaplan.
Bankman-Fried was free on a $250 million bail.
He, however, allegedly contacted a witness over encrypted messaging platform Signal.
- 8/12/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
Sam Bankman-Fried, the disgraced wunderkind whose cryptocurrency exchange platform Ftx imploded last November, will go from house arrest at his parents’ home to jail, a judge has ordered ahead of his trial on fraud charges.
In a Friday hearing, Judge Lewis Kaplan of Federal District Court in Manhattan formally revoked Bankman-Fried’s bail, ending his residence with his family in Palo Alto, California, as he prepares a legal defense for a blockbuster case centered on the ruins of a company once valued at $32 billion. The 31-year-old, admired as a brilliant crypto kingpin until his downfall,...
In a Friday hearing, Judge Lewis Kaplan of Federal District Court in Manhattan formally revoked Bankman-Fried’s bail, ending his residence with his family in Palo Alto, California, as he prepares a legal defense for a blockbuster case centered on the ruins of a company once valued at $32 billion. The 31-year-old, admired as a brilliant crypto kingpin until his downfall,...
- 8/11/2023
- by Miles Klee
- Rollingstone.com
Federal prosecutors are accusing embattled crypto honcho Sam Bankman-Fried of leaking documents about his ex-girlfriend and business partner Caroline Ellison to the press in an alleged effort to taint the prospective jury pool.
The filing issued Thursday, July 20, alleges that Bankman-Fried was a source for a New York Times article (also published yesterday) titled “Inside the Private Writings of Caroline Ellison, Star Witness in the Ftx Case.” Ellison — Bankman-Fried’s ex-girlfriend and CEO of his crypto hedge fund Alameda Research — pleaded guilty to the charges against her last December and has been cooperating with prosecutors.
The filing issued Thursday, July 20, alleges that Bankman-Fried was a source for a New York Times article (also published yesterday) titled “Inside the Private Writings of Caroline Ellison, Star Witness in the Ftx Case.” Ellison — Bankman-Fried’s ex-girlfriend and CEO of his crypto hedge fund Alameda Research — pleaded guilty to the charges against her last December and has been cooperating with prosecutors.
- 7/21/2023
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
T.J. Miller and Jon Heder will lead a new animated, interactive social comedy based on Sam Bankman-Fried and the implosion of Ftx.
The latest series from Web3 story studio Toonstar FORTUN3 will see comedian and Silicon Valley actor Miller portray a character inspired by Bankman-Fried, the alleged fraudster and founder of cryptocurrency exchange Ftx and the Alameda Research trading firm. Both companies collapsed in 2022 and filed for bankruptcy before its CEO faced more than 12 criminal charges related to fraud and conspiracy.
Heder (Napoleon Dynamite, Monster House) — a partner at Web3 agency Verified Labs — will also voice star alongside Amber Rose, who appears as a recurring guest star.
Toonstar, which is hosting the “Audience is King” San Diego Comic-Con panel on Friday featuring Miller, Heder and company executives, is also set to release an A.I.-powered companion game of the same name alongside the series. In what the company calls an “industry first,...
The latest series from Web3 story studio Toonstar FORTUN3 will see comedian and Silicon Valley actor Miller portray a character inspired by Bankman-Fried, the alleged fraudster and founder of cryptocurrency exchange Ftx and the Alameda Research trading firm. Both companies collapsed in 2022 and filed for bankruptcy before its CEO faced more than 12 criminal charges related to fraud and conspiracy.
Heder (Napoleon Dynamite, Monster House) — a partner at Web3 agency Verified Labs — will also voice star alongside Amber Rose, who appears as a recurring guest star.
Toonstar, which is hosting the “Audience is King” San Diego Comic-Con panel on Friday featuring Miller, Heder and company executives, is also set to release an A.I.-powered companion game of the same name alongside the series. In what the company calls an “industry first,...
- 7/20/2023
- by Abbey White
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Jon Heder and T.J. Miller are set to star in a web3 animated series inspired by the collapse of crypto bank Ftx.
Miller (Silicon Valley) has been cast to play a character inspired by Sam Bankman-Fried in workplace comedy Fortun3 loosely inspired by the implosion of Ftx last year. Heder (Napoleon Dynamite) is also joining the series.
Web3 story studio Toonstar is producing and, in what it calls an industry first, will also release an AI-powered companion game in which token holders guide characters through a series of life decisions and moral dilemmas similar to board game The Game of Life.
As the series storyline, the impacts will be felt by corresponding chapters of the companion game. AI will power the development of original characters and shareable digital comic books based on token holders’ gameplay. Players will also be able to earn their characters a role in the animated series.
Miller (Silicon Valley) has been cast to play a character inspired by Sam Bankman-Fried in workplace comedy Fortun3 loosely inspired by the implosion of Ftx last year. Heder (Napoleon Dynamite) is also joining the series.
Web3 story studio Toonstar is producing and, in what it calls an industry first, will also release an AI-powered companion game in which token holders guide characters through a series of life decisions and moral dilemmas similar to board game The Game of Life.
As the series storyline, the impacts will be felt by corresponding chapters of the companion game. AI will power the development of original characters and shareable digital comic books based on token holders’ gameplay. Players will also be able to earn their characters a role in the animated series.
- 7/20/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
In the summer of 2021, I stumbled onto the world cryptocurrency by accident. A friend of mine encouraged me to buy some Bitcoin at the height of the mania, and to be honest, I was tempted. According to media reports, a lot of knuckleheads seemed to be getting rich off these cryptos, whatever the hell they were. I had never paid them much mind before, but I have a degree in economics and these things sure didn’t act like currencies as I understood them. That piqued my interest. It was...
- 7/17/2023
- by Ben McKenzie
- Rollingstone.com
New Delhi, July 11 (Ians) As the world of cryptocurrency tumbles down amid regulatory crackdowns, there are 19 individuals in the world who achieved the title of a billionaire through cryptocurrency.
One cryptocurrency in particular that has led to investors amassing impressive returns is Bitcoin.
Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonym for the creator of Bitcoin, is widely assumed to have the most Bitcoin wealth. Though the creator has not officially revealed the amount of Bitcoin he holds, estimates predict he has a wallet containing around 1.1 million Btc, according to data shared by niche news publisher BanklessTimes.com.
This would convert to a staggering around $25 billion.
“Following Nakamoto is Changpeng Zhao, commonly known as Cz who is the founder and CEO of Binance, with a total of $65 billion. Prior to Sam Bankman-Fried’s scandal, he took third position with a total of $24 billion,” the report showed.
Looking at the landscape of Btc investing across countries,...
One cryptocurrency in particular that has led to investors amassing impressive returns is Bitcoin.
Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonym for the creator of Bitcoin, is widely assumed to have the most Bitcoin wealth. Though the creator has not officially revealed the amount of Bitcoin he holds, estimates predict he has a wallet containing around 1.1 million Btc, according to data shared by niche news publisher BanklessTimes.com.
This would convert to a staggering around $25 billion.
“Following Nakamoto is Changpeng Zhao, commonly known as Cz who is the founder and CEO of Binance, with a total of $65 billion. Prior to Sam Bankman-Fried’s scandal, he took third position with a total of $24 billion,” the report showed.
Looking at the landscape of Btc investing across countries,...
- 7/11/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
Last year, many star athletes participated in the promotion of the cryptocurrency company Ftx, but the company filed for bankruptcy last fall and founder Sam Bankman-Fried was indicted on criminal charges for fraud.
One of the most prominent figures advertising for Ftx was former NFL quarterback Tom Brady, who also served as an “ambassador” for the company. Brady and his then-wife, Giselle Bündchen, began making commercials that ran during NFL games in 2021. Brady also posted TikTok videos with Bankman-Fried from Ftx’s headquarters in the Bahamas.
When Ftx collapsed, Brady lost all of the money he had in its stocks. According to The New York Times, this included $30 million in shares that he was given for his ambassador role. Ftx also paid Bündchen $18 million in stock that was lost.
Brady also faces lawsuits for being among the group of celebrities who misled investors. Meanwhile, his company Autograph, which helps sell Nft items for celebrities,...
One of the most prominent figures advertising for Ftx was former NFL quarterback Tom Brady, who also served as an “ambassador” for the company. Brady and his then-wife, Giselle Bündchen, began making commercials that ran during NFL games in 2021. Brady also posted TikTok videos with Bankman-Fried from Ftx’s headquarters in the Bahamas.
When Ftx collapsed, Brady lost all of the money he had in its stocks. According to The New York Times, this included $30 million in shares that he was given for his ambassador role. Ftx also paid Bündchen $18 million in stock that was lost.
Brady also faces lawsuits for being among the group of celebrities who misled investors. Meanwhile, his company Autograph, which helps sell Nft items for celebrities,...
- 7/9/2023
- by Alex Nguyen
- Uinterview
The Securities and Exchange Commission filed suit on Monday against global giant Binance, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world. A second lawsuit came the very next day against Coinbase, the largest exchange based in the United States. After years of regulatory turf wars over an industry widely seen as the Wild West, the SEC has planted its flag in the cryptocurrency industry as firmly as ever, hoping that courts will support the agency’s opinion that the vast majority of crypto assets qualify as a type of carefully regulated financial instrument known as securities,...
- 6/10/2023
- by Molly White
- Rollingstone.com
The Securities and Exchange Commission’s crypto crackdown continued Tuesday, with the financial regulator bringing new charges against another major cryptocurrency exchange, Coinbase.
The new complaint alleges that, since at least 2019, Coinbase has served as a securities exchange, broker, and clearing agency but never registered as such with the SEC. In doing so, the SEC said in a statement that Coinbase has “deprived investors of significant protections,” including SEC inspection, record keeping requirements, and other safeguards.
One of those safeguards has to do with the SEC’s allegation that Coinbase...
The new complaint alleges that, since at least 2019, Coinbase has served as a securities exchange, broker, and clearing agency but never registered as such with the SEC. In doing so, the SEC said in a statement that Coinbase has “deprived investors of significant protections,” including SEC inspection, record keeping requirements, and other safeguards.
One of those safeguards has to do with the SEC’s allegation that Coinbase...
- 6/6/2023
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
The Securities and Exchange Commission ramped up the pressure on Binance, bringing 13 charges against the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange and its founder/CEO Changpeng “Cz” Zhao.
Accusing Binance of misleading customers and misusing funds, the SEC said the company was able to control customer assets and move them around as it pleased. Binance allegedly diverted some of those funds to a separate entity Zhao owned, Sigma Chain, which the SEC said was “engaged in manipulative trading” to artificially boost the trading volume on Binance.US — a platform established in 2019 for U.
Accusing Binance of misleading customers and misusing funds, the SEC said the company was able to control customer assets and move them around as it pleased. Binance allegedly diverted some of those funds to a separate entity Zhao owned, Sigma Chain, which the SEC said was “engaged in manipulative trading” to artificially boost the trading volume on Binance.US — a platform established in 2019 for U.
- 6/5/2023
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
There was a moment, late last fall, when Changpeng Zhao seemed like the smartest guy in crypto.
The news was sudden and definitive: Binance, Zhao’s international trading post, announced plans to buy its biggest rival, Ftx, led by the young American Sam Bankman-Fried, or Sbf. It looked like a world-historic chess move. Not only was Bankman-Fried giving up on his once-ascendant businesses — he was actually bending the knee, selling whatever was left of the apparently ailing Ftx for scrap.
Then, as quickly as the deal was announced, it evaporated.
The news was sudden and definitive: Binance, Zhao’s international trading post, announced plans to buy its biggest rival, Ftx, led by the young American Sam Bankman-Fried, or Sbf. It looked like a world-historic chess move. Not only was Bankman-Fried giving up on his once-ascendant businesses — he was actually bending the knee, selling whatever was left of the apparently ailing Ftx for scrap.
Then, as quickly as the deal was announced, it evaporated.
- 6/3/2023
- by Will Gottsegen
- Rollingstone.com
Shaquille O’Neal has been sued again over his cryptocurrency promotions, this time in connection to his Astrals Project.
A proposed class action filed in Florida federal court on Tuesday alleges that O’Neal violated securities laws by selling unregistered Astrals tokens. Investor Daniel Harper claims that the former NBA star “should have known of potential concerns about regulatory issues concerning the sale of unregistered crypto securities” but promoted them anyway to further his crypto empire.
O’Neal is one of several celebrity defendants named in a suit against founder Sam Bankman-Fried and stars who endorsed the platform. He appeared in ads for Ftx and has been trying to distance himself from the company by saying in December that he was “just a paid spokesperson.” A dispute has recently emerged in the case over claims that he’s been dodging being served, with lawyers for the investors saying they’ve been...
A proposed class action filed in Florida federal court on Tuesday alleges that O’Neal violated securities laws by selling unregistered Astrals tokens. Investor Daniel Harper claims that the former NBA star “should have known of potential concerns about regulatory issues concerning the sale of unregistered crypto securities” but promoted them anyway to further his crypto empire.
O’Neal is one of several celebrity defendants named in a suit against founder Sam Bankman-Fried and stars who endorsed the platform. He appeared in ads for Ftx and has been trying to distance himself from the company by saying in December that he was “just a paid spokesperson.” A dispute has recently emerged in the case over claims that he’s been dodging being served, with lawyers for the investors saying they’ve been...
- 5/24/2023
- by Winston Cho
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
From Wondery and Bloomberg – the creators behind the award-winning The Shrink Next Door – comes the new six-episode podcast Spellcaster: The Fall of Sam Bankman-Fried, launching May 22. Hosted by Bloomberg crypto and tech reporter Hannah Miller, Spellcaster: The Fall of Sam Bankman-Fried takes listeners on the unbelievable ride of young crypto billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried, who quickly gained fame and fortune from celebrities and world leaders before his business empire came crashing down. The first two episodes will debut on May 22 on Wondery+ and the Bloomberg Terminal, and will be available on Amazon Music and everywhere you get your podcasts starting June 5, with new episodes released weekly on Mondays. Prime members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music starting June 5.
With a promise to change the world, Sam Bankman-Fried created Ftx and set up the crypto exchange to be unconventionally run by himself and his college friends. What could go wrong? Through Ftx,...
With a promise to change the world, Sam Bankman-Fried created Ftx and set up the crypto exchange to be unconventionally run by himself and his college friends. What could go wrong? Through Ftx,...
- 5/11/2023
- Podnews.net
From Wondery and Bloomberg comes the new six-episode podcast Spellcaster: The Fall of Sam Bankman-Fried. Hosted by Bloomberg crypto and tech reporter Hannah Miller, tells the story of young crypto billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried, who quickly gained fame and fortune from celebrities and world leaders before his business empire came crashing down. Sam promised to change the world when he created Ftx and set up the crypto exchange.
- 5/11/2023
- by PodcastingToday
- Podcastingtoday
Stephen Findeisen, better known as the YouTube star Coffeezilla, is sitting in what appears to be a cyberpunk detective’s office, with slow-turning ceiling fans, a bay of screens flashing simulated data, and harsh light filling the windows behind him. It’s part of what he jokingly calls his “$10 million studio,” which, along with his typical attire of a white-collared shirt and dark suspenders, cast him as an old-school private eye thrust into a bizarre new future. As Coffeezilla, Findeisen investigates the cryptocurrency scams that proliferate across the internet, and at the moment,...
- 4/30/2023
- by Miles Klee
- Rollingstone.com
NBA icon Shaquille O’Neal has finally been served in the billion-dollar class-action lawsuit against Ftx founder Sam Bankman-Fried and other celebrity spokespeople, a law firm for the plaintiffs confirmed on Sunday.
The Moskowitz Law Firm took to Twitter to update plaintiffs and avid followers of the case that after months of attempting to reach O’Neal, the basketball legend was finally served outside his Atlanta home. “Plaintiffs in the billion $ Ftx class action case just served @Shaq outside his house,” read the tweet. “His home video cameras recorded our service and we made it very clear that he is not to destroy or erase any of these security tapes, because they must be preserved for our lawsuit.”
50 Best Celebrity Bikinis Slideshow!
Update: Plaintiffs in the billion $ Ftx class action case just served @Shaq outside his house. His home video cameras recorded our service and we made it very clear that...
The Moskowitz Law Firm took to Twitter to update plaintiffs and avid followers of the case that after months of attempting to reach O’Neal, the basketball legend was finally served outside his Atlanta home. “Plaintiffs in the billion $ Ftx class action case just served @Shaq outside his house,” read the tweet. “His home video cameras recorded our service and we made it very clear that he is not to destroy or erase any of these security tapes, because they must be preserved for our lawsuit.”
50 Best Celebrity Bikinis Slideshow!
Update: Plaintiffs in the billion $ Ftx class action case just served @Shaq outside his house. His home video cameras recorded our service and we made it very clear that...
- 4/18/2023
- by Nicky Kashani
- Uinterview
Lindsay Lohan, Jake Paul, musicians Lil Yachty, Ne-Yo, Soulja Boy, Akon and Austin Mahone and adult film star Kendra Lust were charged Wednesday for illegally promoting the securities of crypto companies being investigated by the SEC.
The commission today charged crypto asset entrepreneur Justin Sun and three of his wholly owned companies for the unregistered offer and sale of crypto asset securities Tronix (Trx) and BitTorrent (Btt). Charges also included fraudulently manipulating the secondary market for Trx through “wash trading” and for orchestrating a scheme to pay celebrities to tout Trx and Btt without disclosing their compensation.
Lohan, Paul, DeAndre Cortez Way (Soulja Boy), Austin Mahone, Michele Mason (Kendra Lust), Miles Parks McCollum (Lil Yachty), Shaffer Smith (Ne-Yo) and Aliaune Thiam (Akon) were charged for “illegally touting Trx and/or Btt without disclosing that they were compensated for doing so and the amount of their compensation,” the SEC said.
The...
The commission today charged crypto asset entrepreneur Justin Sun and three of his wholly owned companies for the unregistered offer and sale of crypto asset securities Tronix (Trx) and BitTorrent (Btt). Charges also included fraudulently manipulating the secondary market for Trx through “wash trading” and for orchestrating a scheme to pay celebrities to tout Trx and Btt without disclosing their compensation.
Lohan, Paul, DeAndre Cortez Way (Soulja Boy), Austin Mahone, Michele Mason (Kendra Lust), Miles Parks McCollum (Lil Yachty), Shaffer Smith (Ne-Yo) and Aliaune Thiam (Akon) were charged for “illegally touting Trx and/or Btt without disclosing that they were compensated for doing so and the amount of their compensation,” the SEC said.
The...
- 3/22/2023
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Eight YouTubers who talked up Ftx before its collapse are being sued.
A $1 billion class action lawsuit filed March 15 in the Southern District of Florida alleges that Graham Stephan, Kevin Paffrath, Andrei Jikh, Jaspreet Singh, Brian Jung, Jeremy Lefebvre, Tom Nash, Ben Armstrong, and Erika Kullberg, as well as talent management firm Creators Agency, “promoted, assisted in, and/or participated in” the sale of “unregistered securities” by Ftx.
“Ftx turned to celebrity and social media endorsers to position itself as the ‘safe’ option among cryptocurrency exchanges,” the suit alleges. “Ftx’s paid endorser program was clearly designed to use the positive reputation associated with specific YouTube and other social network influencers to convince consumers that Ftx was a safe place to buy and sell cryptocurrency.”
The suit further alleges that creators did not adhere closely enough to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines about disclosing their financial ties to Ftx.
“Though...
A $1 billion class action lawsuit filed March 15 in the Southern District of Florida alleges that Graham Stephan, Kevin Paffrath, Andrei Jikh, Jaspreet Singh, Brian Jung, Jeremy Lefebvre, Tom Nash, Ben Armstrong, and Erika Kullberg, as well as talent management firm Creators Agency, “promoted, assisted in, and/or participated in” the sale of “unregistered securities” by Ftx.
“Ftx turned to celebrity and social media endorsers to position itself as the ‘safe’ option among cryptocurrency exchanges,” the suit alleges. “Ftx’s paid endorser program was clearly designed to use the positive reputation associated with specific YouTube and other social network influencers to convince consumers that Ftx was a safe place to buy and sell cryptocurrency.”
The suit further alleges that creators did not adhere closely enough to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines about disclosing their financial ties to Ftx.
“Though...
- 3/17/2023
- by James Hale
- Tubefilter.com
When Stephanie Ruhle took over MSNBC’s The 11th Hour a year ago, she did so as a self-described “huge fan” of the show.
It was Brian Williams who launched the program in 2016, quickly establishing an approach that recognized the late time slot it occupied, and the audience most likely to tune in.
“I loved it, because in a really chaotic time in politics it was a show at the end of the day that said, ‘here’s all the crazy that happened today, and here’s the most important stuff,’” Ruhle says. “I definitely wouldn’t consider the show a show rooted in ideology, but it’s a show that tries to be smart and thoughtful.”
Now firmly ensconced at 11 p.m., Ruhle has put her on stamp on the hour, leaning in to her background in finance (she was an anchor at Bloomberg TV and a banker at Credit Suisse before joining NBC,...
It was Brian Williams who launched the program in 2016, quickly establishing an approach that recognized the late time slot it occupied, and the audience most likely to tune in.
“I loved it, because in a really chaotic time in politics it was a show at the end of the day that said, ‘here’s all the crazy that happened today, and here’s the most important stuff,’” Ruhle says. “I definitely wouldn’t consider the show a show rooted in ideology, but it’s a show that tries to be smart and thoughtful.”
Now firmly ensconced at 11 p.m., Ruhle has put her on stamp on the hour, leaning in to her background in finance (she was an anchor at Bloomberg TV and a banker at Credit Suisse before joining NBC,...
- 3/3/2023
- by Alex Weprin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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